What Is Merino Wool And Why It's Perfect For Hiking
More and more people are hearing about the greatness of wearing merino wool fabrics for backpacking and hiking. But what is it and what is so great about it? Here are some quick basics about merino wool and why so many people are falling in love with this fantastic fabric.
Merino wool comes from the Merino sheep. These sheep are raised strictly for their high quality wool. They produce the softest wool available and are bred in several countries but New Zealand is probably the best producers in the world at this time. Their fine quality wool outperforms most other synthetic fabrics and is used primarily for athletic wear.
My most favourite company creating merino wool clothing is Icebreaker. Not only do they produce amazing clothing items, their company is also very ethical during every step of manufacturing right from the sources of sheep they use to their manufacturing process and to maintaining high animal welfare standards. Not only do I love wearing their products but I feel good about buying them. And I have nothing to do with Icebreaker personally, I just love their products and I recommend looking at them if you've never invested in merino wool clothing before.
So why is cotton no good for hiking and what makes merino wool one of the best backpacking fabrics to wear? Let's start with cotton. Cotton feels great, is pretty durable, easy to wash and dry and easy to care for. But for hiking, cotton really can be your enemy. Just ask my husband who on a backpacking trip a few years ago hiked for a few hours up a mountain wearing cotton briefs. Hiking in wet underwear is miserable and he paid for it, never to make that mistake again.
Cotton absorbs moisture. It absorbs sweat and stays wet. So, while you are sweating along your hike your cotton clothing absorbs that wetness and stays wet. Nor does it dry quickly and it also absorbs your body odours. Not so pleasant for those around you! If you are wearing cotton and it starts absorbing your body moisture this can also lead to blistering (if making the mistake of wearing cotton socks) or chafing along other parts of your body.
Merino wool on the other hand is very lightweight and does an excellent job of wicking away moisture which is why it is so popular for athletic wear and why hiking in a merino wool sweater makes a lot of sense. The thought of hiking in wool might seem strange but because it wicks away moisture the fabric doesn't make you over heat as other fabrics might. It doesn't absorb odours like cotton does which is a great feature to have when you need to wear your hiking shirt more than once! And unlike other wools, this type of wool is easy to care for. Personally, I wash all my merino wool clothing in cold water and hang it to dry.
If you haven't already done so then it's time to look at investing in your first pieces of merino wool hiking clothes.
Happy Hiking!
About The Author:Leanne Arnott invites you to read more articles about taking your family camping or going on a family hiking trip at http://www.family-camping-and-hiking.com. You can add your submissions on many topics and subscribe to our monthly ezine.
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